Moltov Man

The idea of ownership is fundamental to the operation of any market, for why create if you are unable to reap the benefits of your own work? Although it is true that ownership of any creation, whether tangible or not, is the cornerstone of art and business, there is also the gray area of re-contextualization and the use of common themes. In the Little Mermaid video we watched in class, for instance, the use of the image was very obviously taken from a different source to be used in parody. I do think, though, that is films such as this are distributed for profit, there is a real problem. Whether or not the use of the mermaid in the example was an obvious re-contextualization, Disney spent both time and money creating the image that is used, even if it is only a single frame. So although I did enjoy the film, I completely understand Disney's perspective and right to protect their intellectual property.
What is funny to me is the ways that companies can blatantly steal the storyline of a film. In any Blockbuster you go to, you will see such quality films as "Snakes on a Train" or "King of the Lost World", a blatant theft of King Kong. If anything, I think that we need stricter laws for situations like these, which seem to somehow slip through the cracks of the current system. Of course, there will always be recurrent themes throughout the canon of fictional works, but this is very different than an obvious attempt to capitalize on a popular item/work of art by creating a near clone.